Raw data for Ejected surface regolith as a potential source material for Centaur rings

<p>Ring systems have been observed around Centaurs 10199 Chariklo and 2060 Chiron but their origin and dynamical histories are still debated. These small body ring systems challenge conventional models for the origin of planetary rings, especially when considering Centaurs’ often erratic cometary activity, their non-spherical shapes, and their relatively short dynamical lifetimes (~10^7 years). A collisional origin for these rings is disfavored based on the low probability of collisions within their lifetimes, and so their mechanism of formation remains an open question. In this work, we use Swiftest, an N-body integrator with collisional fragmentation and higher-order gravitational harmonics, to test a hypothesis that rings could be formed from regolith ejected from a cometary outburst that is subsequently captured into a stable orbit. We show that ejected surface regolith can be captured in orbit around non-spherically shaped Centaurs like Chariklo and Chiron to form a proto-ring disk. This captured disk then serves as a starting point that can evolve into the ring systems we observe today. Inter-particle collisions and the ellipsoidal gravity field facilitate this capture. A landslide or avalanche-like ejection from the equatorial plane shows the highest rate of capture, from ~30 - 90% depending on the initial ejection velocity and location. This implies that rings could be an indicator of past activity on a Centaur and may be a more common feature among Centaurs depending on their shape and frequency of outbursts. We also find that Chariklo’s ring system is likely more evolved than Chiron’s rings.</p>

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<p>Description of dataset.</p>

<p>Swiftest.zip: Zipped files of the N-body Integrator Swiftest and exact version used in generating the data. Available on GitHub and PyPi (via 'pip install swiftest')</p>

<p>misc_swiftest.zip: Zipped files of Kaustub Anand's personal GitHub repository "misc_swiftest". This is a general analysis repository for setting up Swiftest simulation (subfolder "Setup"; then separated by planetary body at the crux of the simulation), and analyzing the outputted data and generating plots and videos (subfolder "Animations").</p>

<p>Chiron_zip.zip: Zipped raw data files for Chiron simulations.</p>

<p>All other files are Chariklo related and separated by ejection type, particle type, and gravitational harmonics focus.</p>

<p>    test_particles.zip: Zipped raw data for test particle runs on Chariklo</p>

<p>    Misc.zip miscellaneous data for Chariklo runs</p>

<p>    Massive particle regolith runs:</p>

<p>        Landslide.zip: zipped raw data for massive particle runs for landslide-like ejections on Chariklo from the long axis</p>

<p>        Longitude.zip: zipped raw data for massive particle runs for landslide-like ejections on Chariklo from the short axis</p>

<p>        shgrav_terms_test.zip: Zipped raw data for simulations checking the effect of different gravitational harmonics terms.</p>